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DRAFT OPINION (COM(2025)0543 – C100164/2025 – 2025/0543(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695

AGRI-PA-782309

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: BertJan Ruissen

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The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development's rapporteur drafts amendments to the proposed Horizon Europe regulation for 2028-2034, asking that funding for agriculture and food security research keep its current share of the programme budget. The draft proposes raising the allocation for the Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy chapter to EUR 31.5 billion and earmarking at least half of it for Agriculture, Food Security and Bioeconomy projects. It introduces a multi-actor approach requiring farmers and primary producers to take part throughout the research cycle, with support for their time, expertise and operational contributions and fair data-use conditions. Other amendments add food security to the programme's objectives, keep both personnel cost options, simplify application procedures for farmers and SMEs, and allow farmers' organisations and agricultural cooperatives a funding rate of up to 100%.

Committee position. The rapporteur proposes amendments to the Commission proposal to maintain the proportional budget share for agriculture and food security research, earmark half of the relevant chapter for it, and introduce a multi-actor approach with supported farmer participation.

Key points

  1. Calls for long-term funding stability for agriculture and food security research and for the programme to close the gap between research results and on-farm applicability.
  2. States that agriculture and food production are crucial for EU competitiveness and strategic autonomy and that funding must remain commensurate to the challenges.
  3. Notes that under Horizon Europe 2021-2027 the Health and Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment clusters together held 18% of the budget.
  4. Finds that the Commission proposal merges these areas into one chapter with an indicative EUR 19.6 billion, around 11% of the proposed EUR 175 billion total.
  5. Proposes to maintain the proportional share, requiring EUR 31.5 billion for the Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy chapter.
  6. Proposes to earmark half of that chapter's resources for research and innovation in Agriculture, Food Security and Bioeconomy.
  7. Introduces a multi-actor approach involving farmers and end-users throughout the research cycle, from co-design to validation and uptake of results.
  8. Requires that farmers' participation be supported through eligible costs for their time, expertise and operational contributions, with transparent and fair data access and reuse conditions.
  9. Amends recitals to add agriculture to the Union's scientific base, food security to crisis resilience, and new recitals on agriculture's importance and the multi-actor approach.
  10. Adds steering mechanisms combining projects of varying technology readiness levels to balance collaborative research and facilitate practical applicability and scaling up.
  11. Keeps both personnel unit costs and actual cost reimbursement as funding options and requires simple, accessible application procedures for SMEs, farmers and other actors.
  12. Allows farmers' organisations and agricultural cooperatives a funding rate of up to 100% of total eligible costs, alongside the exception already granted to SMEs.

Who is affected

  • Farmers and primary producers: to be involved as practitioners in research projects, with compensation and fair data conditions.
  • Farmers' organisations and agricultural cooperatives: eligible for a funding rate of up to 100% of total eligible costs.
  • SMEs and farmers: application procedures to be simple, accessible and proportionate to facilitate their participation.
  • The agriculture and food sector: funding share for its research to be maintained and half of the chapter earmarked for it.

Figures and deadlines

  • 18% of Horizon Europe 2021-2027 allocated to the Health and Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment clusters combined.
  • EUR 19.6 billion proposed indicative allocation for the Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy chapter.
  • Around 11% of the proposed total programme budget for that chapter.
  • EUR 175 billion proposed total programme budget.
  • EUR 31.5 billion required to maintain the same proportional share for Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy.
  • EUR 31 500 000 000 for collaborative research under Chapter V, of which at least half for Agriculture, Food Security and Bioeconomy.
  • Up to 100% of total eligible costs may be reimbursed, except for-profit entities where up to 70% may be reimbursed.